A detailed characterisation of the wave climate around New Zealand and its variability
- Author
- Godoi VA
- Year
- 2019
- Journal / Source
- PhD, University of Waikato
- Pages
- 199
- Summary
- Ocean waves can cause severe social and economic impacts. Therefore, understanding their behaviour is of paramount importance for the effective management of coastal and ocean hazards. This thesis thoroughly investigates four aspects (described below) of the wave climate around New Zealand and its variability by using 44 years (1958–2001) of wave hindcast data. These data were provided by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd, and were produced using the WAVEWATCH III model forced with wind and ice fields from the ERA-40 reanalysis project. Relationships between mean wave parameters (significant wave height (????????), peak and mean wave periods, and peak wave direction) and several climate patterns were analysed. Climate indices representative of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), Zonal Wavenumber-3 Pattern (ZW3), and Southern Annular Mode (SAM) were correlated with the mean wave parameters using the Pearson’s correlation coefficient and the wavelet spectral analysis.